


Reach for the stars - Kaimaki - Maki Harukawa and Kaito Momota

by Cha_r_iot



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Cute, F/M, Romance, Stargazing, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cha_r_iot/pseuds/Cha_r_iot
Summary: Kaito and Maki share a precious moment together during a workout session where Shuichi doesn't show up. With the stars glowing brightly overhead, maybe It's time for Maki to confront her feelings?Another re-upload of previous amino works. Made this one just under a year ago.
Relationships: Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito
Kudos: 28





	Reach for the stars - Kaimaki - Maki Harukawa and Kaito Momota

“Come on, Maki roll! You can do it!”  
“I’m doing fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”  
“D'aww! You’re worried about me?”  
“... shut up.”

Tumultuous laughter rang throughout the desolate garden, hitting off the walls only to meet my ears again. I could only just stifle an eye roll.

Another late night work out session had commenced, and proceeding just the way I expected it to.  
Kaito was notorious for his short attention span, so it was no surprise that he was procrastinating. I had grown accustomed to it, after all. I’d show up, do my part, perhaps indulge in light conversation, then leave.  
Despite Kaito being… well, Kaito, the two of us had grown closer through our continued meetings. Due to this, I slowly but surely began to pick up his mannerisms.

For example, the way he ‘idolized’ the sky, as though it was some sort of saint.  
The way his eyes showcased astonishment as the crescent moon would glimmer upon the artificial grass we were surrounded by.

As the night grew darker, I noticed Kaito’s particular disinterest towards exercise. Despite how he would spend hours doing his own thing, he remained faithful to his word and joined in on training routines and such. This night was particularly peculiar, for he wasn’t even delivering motivational quotes, or rambling on about the beauty of space.

At first, I wondered if he was feeling ill.   
Or perhaps he was too fixated on stargazing?

And, there he was. Back against the grass, completely oblivious to his surroundings and smiling to himself as his eyes moved from star to star.

Minuscule, insignificant. Radiating an unremarkable shade of institutional white, their fluorescent glow coating the ground before me.   
However, I couldn’t deny the appeal. Though he was skipping the training that he himself organized, the sky was conspicuous.  
I couldn’t help but steal a glance once or twice.

Yet, to contrast, the sky was the scent hanging in the air.  
The sickly scent of sweat was inescapable- however, I had grown accustomed to it as the night went on. The artificial grass gave off an unpleasant aroma, which only strengthened my need to finish training as soon as possible.  
Kaito remained silent, and I was finally able to think to myself for a while.

“... Shuichi is late.”  
I mumbled, preoccupied.

“O-oh yeah! Uh, Shuichi said he wasn’t feelin’ the best today. Thought it was best he took a break tonight.”  
A brief moment of silence as I recalled how Shuichi was acting that morning. Though he seemed quite lethargic, he had been like that since the beginning. In fact, his sleeping pattern was a complete mystery since…

Kaede.

I pondered on it for a while before opening my mouth to speak.  
“... he was never coming, was he…?”  
It was a complete guess, but based on Kaito’s reaction, I assumed I was right. He wasn’t very good at lying, unlike a certain someone we had been trapped there with. Kaito appeared stunned for a moment.

“Damn! Guess I should know better than to try and lie to you, Maki roll!”  
A smile began to appear on my face. It was good to know that someone was too much of an idiot to be able to lie to me convincingly. But, still. I was concerned about why he had decided to have a training session between the two of us.

My heart was practically beating out of my chest, as though to the tune of a silent song. I didn’t dare take time to think to breathe or to blink. If I faltered, even for a millisecond, the fatigue would catch up to me in an instant.

“Ninety-eight, ninety-nine… one hundred.”  
With that, I had completed another set of press-ups. A sharp exhale escaped my lips as I stretched my arms out towards the sky.  
“D-damn… well, I could’ve at least doubled that if I… heh… actually wanted to try… but, uh…”  
Kaito seemed impressed, probably because I tripled the amount he could do. Not that I ever really counted that, due to his habit of becoming easily distracted...

His eyes lingered on me for a little while, a small hint of concern in his voice.  
“Hey, I think that’s enough for now, don’t you?”  
I returned his gaze with a stern one. Why was he so concerned? If anyone, it was him I should be concerned about. He hadn’t even attempted to start exercising. Throughout our entire workout session, I was positive he didn’t break a sweat.

This kind of behavior was unprecedented from Kaito. He sounded as though he was sincere, as well… and yet...  
“... I suppose.”  
I couldn’t disagree with him. Frankly, I was exhausted, though I’d never say that to his face.

“What is there to do now, anyway?”  
I asked, now particularly disinterested. 

“You don’t always need to do something, Maki roll! Sometimes it’s just about relaxing and starin’ off into space, ya know?”  
The idea was alien to me. I’d never heard of something so outlandish.

“... I can’t do that. Sorry.”

“Sure ya can! Come on, give it a try!”

His undying enthusiasm… could I ever get used to it?

With a deep, exasperated sigh, I lowered myself to the grass. 

At first, my eyes wandered, unwavering. I was desperate for activity, now forced to do nothing. I began to idly play with my hair, which lined the ground before me.

Kaito didn’t speak a word. Unusual for a chatterbox like him. Perhaps it was his way of easing me into a situation like this, something I’d never tried before. His expression was neutral, almost unreadable. Maybe he had drifted off, already.  
No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t do it. The sky looked the same as it always did. I had analyzed everything in my field of view.

“... huh? You okay, Maki roll?”  
That familiar naive smile…   
I didn’t feel the need to lie. 

“... no. I just don’t get how you can do this.”  
I lifted myself off of the ground,   
“... ah. I guess you’ve been pretty bored, huh?”  
His eyes sparkled as they locked with mines. No hint of aggression or snarkiness.   
With that, he moved one of his hands from under his head, and held it out, near me.   
After a brief moment of hesitation, I took his hand in mine.   
It felt strange, to take someone’s hand so easily.  
A peculiar feeling of unease lurked at the back of my throat, yet I tried not to pay attention to it.  
With that, I laid down again.

Though, as time flew by, I began to feel more comfortable in Kaito’s presence. I had no idea what time it was anymore.  
“Why did you become an astronaut, Kaito? Well, why did you want to become an astronaut?”  
I said, breaking the silence.  
Kaito’s eyes trailed off into the distance, shaking back into reality by the sound of his name.   
“Oh, huh?”  
He seemed strangely confused. As though he had never anticipated that question.

“Nah, you don’t wanna know. It’s really not that important…”  
Unlike his usual boastful self, Kaito appeared drastically more insecure. His head followed the movement of his eyes, turning away from my view. His cheeks a slight tint of red.  
I could only just stifle a giggle. I didn’t intend to lie to myself, he was cute when he wanted to be. I cocked my head to one side to see him more clearly.

“No, I do.”

Regaining his lost courage, Kaito cleared his throat and a laugh surfaced.  
“Ahaha, that’s new! Well…”

“The stories I used to read are the main inspiration behind me becomin’ an astronaut.”  
I found it surprising- new territory for me to comprehend. A dream to be fulfilled because of inspiration, rather than things just happening that way. However, Kaito was indeed the type to find inspiration in something like that.  
“Really?”

“Yeah… All of them starred a hero. Always a, hm... valiant leader. Accompanied by their, uh, trusty sidekicks, they’d find some way to beat the villain or overcome the problem plaguing them... Totally kick the bad guy’s ass, and look cool as hell while doin’ it!”  
He clumsily stumbled over his words.

“Ah. I had a feeling you’d say something like that.”

Kaito appeared to be slightly self-conscious, but he attempted to retain his usual confident nature.   
“Aha, yeah… it is pretty cliche, but unlike the millions who never take risks for their dreams, I made the impossible possible!”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong! I don’t think your motivation is boring… I guess I just see you as that sort of person. You know… the type who makes their own destiny.”  
For the first time since I’d met him, Kaito blushed beetroot red. He didn’t even try to mask it by acting tough and proud. It was real, unfiltered emotion. After an uncharacteristically long pause, Kaito laughed boomingly. 

“D’aww! Sounds like you’re really startin’ to care about me!”

“S-shut up…”

With my usual annoyed tone, I felt red tinge my cheeks. I was starting to care about him, but there was no need for him to say it outright like that...  
We continued to lie in silence, but I couldn’t help but wonder about what Kaito had said. I couldn’t describe it as ‘noble’, per se, but it was what he wanted to do. Not that I was even one to judge.  
There was just one thing I could not understand.

“B-but… it’s just that I can’t really understand why you chose space of all places.”  
Kaito looked as though he didn’t quite understand, scratching his head with his free hand.  
“To go on an adventure, I mean…”  
With a mumble to confirm he understood under his breath, he began to ponder on it in silence.

“Despite how you may see it, Maki roll, the sky carries some real lessons, ya know?”  
His statement confused me. Lessons? Metaphorically, of course, but what could they even say? It would be something motivational, knowing Kaito.   
Yet, as I stared off into the vast distance, stars twinkling brightly in the sky, I could not even begin to imagine what Kaito was talking about.  
I nodded at him as if to signal him to elaborate.

“I’ve stared up at that thing for as long as I can remember. Counting each star in my line of vision.”

Each star? It was ludicrous to me. Up until today, I couldn’t allow myself to stare up at the stars for more than a minute. To think he would spend so much time staring at simple dots in the sky baffled me.  
“Didn’t it get boring?”  
Kaito chuckled.   
“Of course it did! Boring as hell. But… I think, the more you look at it, the more you understand.”

For a reason I couldn’t quite understand, I felt a pit in my stomach. I’d been staring off into the distance for a while now, and I still didn’t understand Kaito’s metaphor. I’d just make a fool of myself- Kaito was the expert, and, despite being comfortable around him, I didn’t want to embarrass myself.  
He’d just realize I don’t understand him. I don’t understand his strange love of astrology. He’d distance himself from me, due to my incapability to understand. Was that overreacting? It probably was, but I decided to politely refuse his request.  
“I-I can’t do that, Kaito.., you’re the ultimate astronaut, of course, you can…”

But, Kaito didn’t even acknowledge my refusal. He truly believed in me.  
“Look up at the sky. I’m sure you can understand…”

With slight reluctance, I felt my eyes dart towards the sky.   
“Tell me what you see.”

Those words were vague. Did he want a description? Did he want my interpretation? With the pressure of living up to his expectations weighing on my heart, I began to think.  
“I see…”

The more I pressured myself, the more distant he felt. Think, think, think…  
‘No…’

‘Kaito wouldn’t want me to pressure myself so much. I should interpret his question the way I see fit. After all, I’m pretty sure that was too vague, even for him…’

And so, I relaxed my muscles.  
I stopped thinking.

And a shining light in the darkness came to greet me.

“I see total darkness… despair. Devoid of life. No matter where you turn, you will be met with misfortune. Darkness.”

“Yet… Amongst the despair… there is a single light of shining hope. It stands by itself, it’s presence minuscule in comparison to despair.”

“And it stands alone. It stands with courage. For it knows that it isn’t alone. And… after time, others will join it. Because it’s true. Standing alone is never really standing alone. It’s simply waiting to be joined.”

Pleasant silence.  
A wistful smile.

Yet, I couldn’t help but feel melancholic as we lay next to each other, lost in a trance. It was all so… perfect. As though I had a purpose for once in my life.

Was it wrong to fall in love…?

But, I suppose I couldn’t help it.  
An overwhelming sense of tenderness overcame me as the stars beamed vivid white light. My vision became fogged, unclear.

Kaito…  
He had come along and obfuscated everything I once believed to be true. All it took was his understanding. His will to listen.  
So why…?

Why did I feel immense amounts of dread…?

“Maki roll…”

My heart skipped a beat as I felt his gaze upon me.   
“That was awesome! I think you’re makin’ some real progress, ya know?”  
Once again, that oh-so-familiar grin took its rightful place on his face. A genuine smile appeared on my face, to match his.

“Seems the message is really clear, huh? The impossible is possible! All you gotta do is make it so!”

For once, those words had true meaning. They weren’t just optimistic wishes he clung on to. They were a form of hope.  
Limiting yourself and pressuring yourself does no good, even in practical situations.  
Creating a situation in which things go well requires that you truly believe. You put your trust in yourself.   
If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust…?  
And, with the creation of courage, others will appear. If they can’t withstand the pain, the terror, then they can look to you for help...

“And if I stand up for myself amongst all this chaos, at least I know you can be my star. You can stand with me, yeah?”

“... I…”

“I swear, Maki roll. One day, when we get outta this whole situation… I’ll show ya the stars. I’ll show you the universe.”

I was struck silent by the true sincerity in his tone. His booming voice… his boastful nature. Even the way he spouted out motivational quotes like simple drops of water in a flowing stream...  
It truly was his appeal.

What an idiot…

“... I’d like that.”

‘

‘

‘

‘

‘

‘

I remembered that night.

I remembered that night too well.

Because… It was the last night we had.

“LET ME IN! LET ME IN, YOU MONSTER!”

I screamed without hesitation. My desperation knew no bounds, my only thought being how I could save Kaito.  
That gremlin. That evil, heartless monster.  
How many lives would he take before he was satisfied?! Was there no bounds to his selfishness?!

It was mere minutes from the moment I…  
I poisoned Kaito.  
Why did he have to be such a selfless person?! Why did he have to put me before himself?!

And… Kokichi.   
He stole the only bottle of antidote.  
WHY SHOULD ONE AS CRUEL AS HE BE ALLOWED TO LIVE?!

Although, the way he strutted around, no hint of guilt or remorse… I pitied him. For being such a horrible excuse for a person, that he wouldn’t even realize the pain Kaito was suffering.

I DIDN’T CARE FOR EXCUSES!  
DEATHS HAD BEEN HAPPENING LEFT AND RIGHT, BUT WHY-  
WHY-  
WHY KAITO?!

Kaito had saved him.  
Kaito was willing to die to prevent a murder, even if it meant he survived.

And yet…

“...please…”  
The tears streamed down my face, dripping onto the floor before me.  
Drip. Drip. Drip.  
Infuriation. Depression. Hopelessness.  
My one love.  
My only love.

He… saved me.  
Why couldn’t I do the same for him…?

I tried to scream, my throat now dry, yet no words could escape my lips. There I knelt.  
A poignant mess, crying in solitude.

I was useless.  
Well and truly useless.  
No amount of anger, no amount of compassion could change the absolute truth. The horrific future that awaited me. That awaited… Kaito.

‘...No…’

‘...I can’t give up…!’  
In a single, profound movement, I tugged my sleeve across my eyes and the tears that blinded me fell to the ground. 

‘I don’t care what it takes.  
I will save you…!  
Because…’

‘...You haven’t shown me the stars yet…’


End file.
